Of the Foffil Nautilus-Prodigious Teeth. Account of the FOSSIL Nautilus. OON after I had offered to the pub of the Nautilus, by means of the Maga the fame direction as the Nautilus before It may not be improper, however, to obferve that in fig. III. is reprefented the external appearance of this foffil, and that the parts which are the leaft fhaded are itill covered with the genuine shell, which on the others has mouldered away, or been peeled off in digging and' cleaning it. The curve lines mark the courfe and infertion of the tranfverfe plates or diaphragms into the fides of the fhell. Fig. IV. exhibits its internal ftructure; the upper and open part of the shell fee fig. 2. Jan. Mag. p. 7.) is indeed destroyed, but the chambers remain entire, except a few of the uppermoft, which appear broken (a) and dispersed in the hard, bluish, lime-ftone, that fills the cavity which extends to the first entire diaphragm at (b). Beyond this the little matter that has infinuated itself into the feveral cavities, is more of a fparry nature, femipellucid, and spreading on each diaphragm, both above and below, like a thin covering of cryftal, leaving a confiderable vacuity in every chamber. The tube, which was laid open in the middle almost, through its whole courfe, except at (e), may be ob ferved at the firft whole plate (c), and continued from thence, without inter. miffion, or any vifible opening into the cavities through which it paffes to its extremities. It was fuggefted in the account given of the Nautilus, that this tube was fo continued from the fifh to its extremity in the center of the fhell, as it is here feen; and, that by only dilating or contracting this tube, all the purpofes of the fifh might probably be anfwered, without any "neceflity for the admiflion of either air or water into the cavities themselves, whenever the [GENT. MAG. July 1752] 301 animal inclined to become more or lefs buoyant. The reality of this fuggeftion feems to be fully demonstrated by the fubject before us, wherein no openings can in the least be observed in any part of the tube, into the cavities it pafles through but it may easily be feen that the tube itfelf is of different dimenfions, being fwelled in one part and contracted in another; and what little matter is collected in the cavities feems rather to have been the effect of that force which crushed the upper part of the fhell, and preffed in the mud, fince hardened into stone, at the time of that general renverfemeat, which buried the inhabitants of the ocean in places very remote from thofe, in which fuch of the fpecies as ftill exift are at prefent to be met with. C. This foffil was brought from the ifland of Shepey, which affords confiderable quantities of them, and of other very fingular fubftances of the like nature. Among the reft found there, I have fo much of a petrified tortoife as affords fufficient proof to what animal it beD longed, which may perhaps be defcribed in fome future Magazine, if the public fhews no diftafte to fuch effays. E F The tooth represented in fig. I. and II. was brought from near the banks of the Ohio, on the back of Virginia, by an intelligent perfon, who, with fome others, had been up to view the country. It is here reprefented much smaller than it is, being about 54 inches in depth from a to c, 34 broad, and 24 thick. It weighs one pound and a half, yet was one of the malleft grinders in the leaft of three large animals of the fame fpecies, and most probably buffaloes, whose skeletons were found under a tree in the country abovementioned; where they had probably perifhed during the leverity of winter; this large fpecies being feldom or never found in thefe northern latitudes. Ga There was brought at the fame time grinder of one of the larger animals, which I was told weighed fix pounds, and I am the more induced to believe it true, from having feen one lately of the fame kind, and brought from fome part of North America, not much short of that weight.-The letter (a) points out Ha circumftance which fometimes is obfervable in the human teeth, and now and then occafions unexpected difafters in extracting them. For the root (a), inftead of pafling deeper into the jaw, was reflected by the obitacle it met with, and thereby furrounded a piece Q9 the 302 Origin of Borax-Cancers cured. the jaw bone, in fuch a manner as to render the extraction impoffible without either breaking the bended root or bringing out with it the piece of the jaw inclofed in the bend (6), which was the cafe in forcing out the tooth here A exhibited. A fide view of the tuberous grinder is feen at , and the rugged furface of the fame grinder is farther reprefented in fig. II. The hard enamel, covering this part of the tooth that is out of the jaw, is above one eighth of an inch thick: by its figure, hardness, and fize, it feems a fit inftrument, in the jaw of fuch an animal, to grind down fhrubs, branches of trees, and fuch like provifion, with as much cale as the ox cateth common herbage. Obfervations of BORAX. SIR, I Looked over, B C meet with any account of the Borax, in his Amanitates Exotica. I imagined he had faid fomething about it, but I carefully turned over the book and his index, but to no purpose.-Nothing in the whole Materia Medica is a greater fecret than the history of Borax from D 'first to last. Its origin is as unknown as its nature is fingularly different from all other falts. Geoffroy gives the beft and moit probable account of its origin, but without telling us from whence he had it. I remember to have read the fame account in fome traveller, but cannot call to mind in whom; the fubftance of E what Geoffroy fays is as follows: Native Borax is brought to us in the form of little ftones, as big as hazle or walnuts, of an obfcure greenish colour, grofs, earthy, and as if covered with greafe. It is dug in various places, but the largeft quantity is brought from the F Mogul's 's country, and Perfia. There, in fome mines, efpecially copper-mines, a falt, muddy, greenish water drops down, which is carefully collected, and evaporated to a proper confiftence, then put into fome pits dug in the earth, firft befmeared with a kind of compost made of the mud of the fprings the water drops from, and fome animal fat. The pits are covered over with the fame compoft, and left for feveral months, when they find the water coagulated into thefe little ftones, or crystals. "Thefe are taken out with the fat earth that furrounds them, and is the native Borax. Thus far Geoffrey. I am the more induced to embrace this opinion from what I have obferved the Eaft India company's ware houses. The tincar, or tincal, (which is the fubftance Geoffroy has defcribed to us, and is another name for the crude Borax,) is generally brought over in fkins or jars. Sometimes it is in dry, hard, cryftals and lumps of various magnitudes; at other times it is in dark, greenifh, moift maffes, almoft intolerably foetid, and the smell refembling that of a corrupt animal fubftance. This different appearance may be eafily accounted for, if we fuppole that the first mentioned fort was the cryftallized falt firft taken out of the pits and dried; and that the latter was the fcrapings and fediment collected from the fides and bottom, yet fo far impregnated with the falt as to be worth while fending over. For both one fort and the other must be refined before they are fit for ufe. A fmall quantity is ufed in medicine, but a much larger in mechanic ufes, among the goldfmiths, &c. to flux gold, and folder metals. In Pomet may be seen a great variety of opinions about it, but, I believe, this account is most to be depended on. Yours, &c. J. F. Farther account of the PHYTOLACCA. From CADWALLADER COLDEN, Efq; HE account of the cure of cancers by the Phytolacca, or Pokeweed, which was inferted in the Gent. Mag. of July 1751, has been republifhed in moit, if not all the American news-papers. I have had its effects in these cures confirmed to me by feveral other inftances, particularly of a cancer in a woman's breaft, laft fummer, and of a large, cancerous, ulcerated tumour on the fide of a man's belly, in New-York, which had been given up as incurable by fome experienced furgeons; but this man, at the fame time, was put under a ftrict course of the Guajacum. I was pleased to fee Dr Fothergill's treatife on the malignant fore throat; his method of cure agrees with what has been found moft fuccefsful in this country. This distemper has been comG mon in North America for many years, fometimes with greater, and at other times with lefs malignancy, and, if I miftake not, took its rife from hence. In the year 1746, at Albany, many died of what is called the long fever, in this country; fome recovered after all other means had proved unfuccefsHful, by the ufe of old generous Madeira wine; and it was obferved that none were feized with this diftemper who ufed Madeira freely. The Affaffin tortured-Of Ecclefiaftical Amendments. Annexed is the head of Henry IV. of France, ftabbed by Ravillac, (a French lawyer, born at Angouleme, in the dutchy of Anjou as he was paffing thro' the streets of Paris in his coach, as alluded to in the fatirical verfes vol. xxi. p. 566. It is copied from an old cut, fuppofed of Renold Elftrack, and the manner of his engraving exactly imitated. The head has fomewhat remarkable in the turn of the hair, as it nearly refembles the prefent fashion of dreffing wigs. 303 The HEAD of HENRY IV. of France. HENRY Ravillac was put to a moft excruciating death. At the place of execution his right hand was put into a furnace flaming with fire and brimftone, and there confumed; his flesh was pulled from his bones by red hot pincers, and burning oil, rofin, and brimftone were poured upon the wounds, and melted lead upon his navel; to clofe all, four horfes were faftened to the four quarters of his body, and tore it afunder. He declared that his only motive to this murther was, because the king tolerated two religions in France. His parents were banished the kingdom never more to return on pain of immediate death; and his whole kindred ordered to renounce the name of Ravillar, that it Mr URBAN, AND NAVARR might never more be heard in France. Whether Ravillac's torments were greater than thofe of Balthazar Gerrard, who murdered the prince of Orange (jce vol. xvii. p. 604) or not, is a queftion; but certain it is, he bore them with much lefs conftancy, for he roared out in a terrible manner, whereas the other fcarce uttered a groan. THe writer of the inclofed five letters to a member of the houfe of Commons, has permitted me to prefent them to the public through your Magazine. His defign to fet forward peace and charity amongst all chriftians; and, as I am perfuaded there is nothing advanced inconfiftent with thefe ends, nor with truth, I think the publication of them may have its ufe. To the Honourable, &c. SIR, IN LETTER I. N a late vifit, with which you was pleased to honour me, the converfation took a more than ordinary ferious turn, which you gave it in favour of a private literato, whofe ftudies had been of the feverer kind. Amongst other things you defired my opinion of a performance, much taken notice of in good company, the defign whereof was, to make way for fome proceedings concerning ecclefiaftical matters in our national fynod, and in the fenate, wherein your rank and ftation would oblige you to have a fhare, and might have fome influence. I was pleased to hear you declare, with a noble franknefs peculiar to yourself, a refolution to act as became a ferious chriftian, a true proteftant, a I am, Sir, Yours, &c. A. B. C. D. found member of the church of England and a patron of British liberty, in all queftions that came before you; and that you fhould receive, with pleasure, fuch lights in thefe matters, which you had never looked into very carefully, as would enable you to appear, with honour, the church's advocate, or a promoter of its reformation and advancement. I perceived you had in your eye the propofals of certain anonymous candid difquifitors, of whofe performance I had heard fomething in converfation, and had feen fome extracts in literary journals; but, as I had not perufed the work itself, I was in no condition to pafs a judgment on its merits, or the particular propofals therein offered to the confideration of the public. However, as many things in our ecclefiafti 304 National Churches may alter their Ceremonies: own account. The letter which I have the honour to prefent you at this time fhall dispatch all preliminary matters, and may ferve as a general introduction to thofe that are to follow. You must know then, Sir, that there C ufurpations and decifions whatsoever, and in reforming and adapting all the parts of its difcipline to its own peculiar necefiities, to the circumftances of times and feafons, and mens tempers, and to the edification of its own people.Thefe principles cannot be too much or too often inculcated; and the more closely they are adhered to, the better will truth and peace be maintained within each church, and between those that are independent of each other. The fathers of the venerable council of Nice, who had many of them been confeffors in the preceding times of perfecution, ground feveral of their canons on this notion of the inherent rights and independency of particular churches; and I have often thought, that thofe primitive worthies, if they were now to revive and pass judgment on the Reformation, as conducted by the church of England, would avow the work, and acknowledge their own generous fpirit in the free plan of difcipline then reftored. The co-operation of our fynods and are, in my private opinion, two funda-fenate in that great work carries indeed mental maxims, which ought ever to be kept in view in all religious difquifitions. The firft is, That fcripture is the rule of faith and manners in all things neceflary to falvation.-The other is, That all national churches are co-ordinate and independent; fo that none has a power or right to impofe her difcipline on another. Each is iupreme arbiter and mitrefs of her own difcipline, by a power original and inherent in itfelt; a right incapable of being ioft by foreign ufurpation, or a contrary prefcription. By this power every particular church may alter as it pleafes, reform, or abrogate any and every part of its outward polity, which is not inftituted in the word of God; fuch as the public offices, rites and ceremonies of devotion, forms of adminiftring the facraments, &c. E F my mind yet higher, even to that apoftolical fynod, whofe acts* run in the name of the apoftles, and elders, and brethren; fo far am I from efteeming a parliamentary approbation and establishment of what had been before maturely debated, and decreed in convocation a reproach to the reformation, as a lying fpirit in the mouth of certain prophets would perfuade us it is. By the principles then before laid down an entire review of our ecclefiaftical conftitution may at any time be juftified; and it is at prefent much defired by many, who are perfuaded it would tend to the promotion both of piety and peace, by removing all occafions of nilapprehenfion and reproach, and by introducing fuch improvements into every part, as would render its excellency, in all refpects, fo apparent, and its aptnefs to promote chriftian ediGrication to vifible, as to make thofe of the contrary part afhamed. For the moft delicate parts of this work, a few men of eminent piety, orthodoxy, and learning, of diftinguifhed prudence and enlarged hearts, lovers of truth, peace, and liberty, might be fufficient, by whofe labours the whole might be adapted accurately to our civil conftitution, to the state, genius, and neceflities of the prefent times, and its difcipline duely tempered between the extremes of licentioufnefs and tyranny; and care Thefe two principles are the very bafis and foundation of the Reformation, and the grand fecurities of our ecclefiaftical independency, rights, and liberties; for the Reformation holds forth the word of God as the whole rule of faith and manners in things neceffary to falvation, and the orders and conftitutions of each particular, much more of each H national church, concerning rites and ceremonies, &c. as the only measure and standard of chriftian difcipline. And it is by virtue of our fecond maxim that every church is juftified in afferting its own rights and ufages against all foreign |